My Kitty Was Diagnosed With Squamous Cell Carcinoma

[mazspeed]

I apologize for the post. I didn't do any forum search like I should have. I am crying as I type this so bear with me.
I have not posted in a long time. We have 4 cats, and our otherwise very healthy 15 year old Bengal named Agro was just diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in his right upper part of the mouth.
I just got back from UC Davis and they pretty much said it's only going to be a few months tops for Agro. My wife and I cannot fathom this and I don't want to not fight for him. He's always been a lovely boy and along with our other cats/kids as I call them, he's my best friend. I am not dealing with this very well.
As of right now he's fine and is normal and doesn't have any issues with eating or anything else. But I would like to know if any cat has beaten this and how they did it or what other course of action we can do to prolong his life as pain free as possible. I know of a place in Illinois that is doing something on a clinical trial for this very thing and would love to know if anyone knows much about it. Thanks in advance.


Mike-Leona and Agro

 

[mewcatmew]

Oral SCC is very aggressive, and really the only "cure" if possible, is complete removal of the cancerous area with clear margins. Many of these cancers are too advanced for that. I am sorry about the devastating news. UC Davis is the best in the country, perhaps you can ask them about any clinical trials? Here is a database.

AAHSD Study Search

 

[Gizmobius]

I'm very sorry to hear this. My previous cat, Willow, was diagnosed with this last October. It began as a small growth on the outer part of her bottom gum line and I immediately switched her to an all wet diet to make it easier on her. By November it had grown significantly and she started having issues eating. By the end of the month I chose to have her put to sleep. It's very aggressive in its growth and such an unfortunate situation.

I wish you the best in whichever route you take.

 

[inkysmom]

I'm sorry to hear this too. My cat Pepper was diagnosed with this in spring 2004 during a routine dental cleaning and only given one month to live. I drove him four hours away to a holistic vet who twice did surgery to remove the tumor and part of his jaw. He also had special soft food and lots of medicines and natural remedies. It came back both times and he lost a lot of weight and needed a lot of help eating despite constantly eating. He did live 8 or 9 months though. He was only 12. This was 13 years ago so I don't know about new treatments just that's it's very aggressive.
Best of luck and positive thoughts for you and your cat.

 

[Antonio65]

I'm as devastated as you at reading of your Agro
Believe me, I truly understand how you are feeling right now, because I've been through it and had to say goodbye to my sweet Lola only three months and a half ago...
Unfortunately SCC is very aggressive and gives very little if no chance of survival.
I discovered what my cat had in last September, I did everything humanly possible, I spent all the money I had (I would have borrowed if necessary) and tried every single attempt, even the less likely, but at the end I had to say goodbye to the love of my life.
Even a surgery to remove the mass does not give any assurance that it won't grow again.
We tried the radiation therapy combined with the chemo, then I used any herbal and "magical" remedy, the only thing I got was probably to give my cat some more days or weeks, but eventually she couldn't bear it anymore, the tumor grew down her throat and was going to suffocate her, I had no choice.
If you want to read it, this is her story
Lola's fight with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (I'm going to say goodbye to my cat)
Though there's no way out from this nightmare please fight for him till the end, be his army and weapon, do not give up against this enemy, love Agro every single day of his life as and more than you did so far.
Do not lose your temper when the day will come when he won't be able to eat or drink on his own, be patient.
Sorry, I'm crying, I can't type any longer
Hugs to you both.

 

[babiesmom5]

I am so very sorry about Agro. Believe me, I know full well how devastating it is to receive a cancer diagnosis. It is even worse, when it is inoperable and/or in a difficult location and treatment options are limited. I have a cat with a bladder tumor, which is inoperable. It is stable presently on chemo, but I wanted to explore my options. My excellent Vet Oncologist told me about the CyberKnife, the newest, most advanced radiation technology in the Veterinary field today. There are only 3 facilities in the world which have this technology; fortunately one was located near me in Malvern, PA and another is in Culver City, CA.

I took my cat to the one in Malvern last week for a consultation. I am very glad I did!
The Cyberknife is the world's first and only commercial application of robotic stereotatic radiosurgery for tumors and lesions in animals. It is especially good for pets with inoperable or surgically complex tumors like brain tumors, nasal tumors, bone tumors, oral tumors like Squamous cell carcinomas! It minimizes radiation exposure to healthy tissue because it targets the tumor with precision. It only requires 1-3 treatments. It reaches most tumors from virtually unlimited directions with robotic mobility. It is really a revolutionary alternative to conventional surgery or radiation therapy. Most of all, it offers pets a quicker return to normal activities and extended quality and length of life. Like any state-of the-art medical treatments, it is not cheap; however it may be worth your while to at least get a consultation, learn more about it, and see if your cat is a candidate. You can read more about this at www.cyberknifepet.com and www.vetcyberknife.com. This can at least give you some hope!

 

[mazspeed]

Thank you everyone. I have taken the week off of work to be with him. My wife is taking him to UC Davis for the cat scan to see what's what. It's killing me as I know and can see how it has effected all of you. Thanks Antonio65. I'm in that boat now. We will fight for him. Babies mom. I will look into this and call them now. Agro is such a wonderful kitty, I am just not ready to let him go without a fight. I would be a bad dad if I didn't try anything I could for him.